System of electrical distribution



Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

G. EIHULSE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION,

APPLICATION FILED APR 13 $920 w ,13 I 25 1 Q Patented 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HUI-SE, OI-NEWABK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE OAR ammo & LIGHTING ,COIPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

8Y8!!! OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

Application illed April 18, 1920. Serial Io. 378,829.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon E. Home, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improv ment in Systems of Electrical Distribution, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Systems of electrical distribution and with regard to the 1.0 more specific features, to of such nature peculiarly adapted for use in the lighting of railway cars. One of the objects thereof is to provide a simple and practical system of the above type adapted for efficient control of the generator output. An-

other object is to provide a system ofthe above type inwhich the charging current possesses certain desired characteristics and which is well adapted to meet various conditions of use. Other objects are to provide systems of the above typein which the aparatus is readily adjustable to meet changmg conditions of use or change of the ty of battery used therein. Other objects w1ll be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arran ment of parts which will be exemplified 1n the structure herein-- plicaafter described and the scope of the a tion of which willbe indicated in t lowing claims. V

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the same; I

Figure 2is a cross section taken through adjacent regulating-coils of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 together with associated parts, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

lar parts throughout the several views 0 the drawings.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a generator 10 preferably driven at variable speed from the axle of a railway car. Serially positioned in the circuit of the shunt field 11 of this generator is a variable resistance 12 comprising a plu- Similar reference characters refer to simiv f pivot o lever 21. Lever 26 1s provided with rality of contacting carbon disks, the ag gate resistance of which varies inversely with presure exerted thereon.

- From the generator 10 the main 13 leadsfirs't through a series or current regulating coil 14, then through the ordinary automatic switch 15 of car lighting systems. At 16 is a storage batter bridged across the mains 13 and 17 and t e latter conductors are extended to connect with the generator m arallel with the battery the usual lamps 18. nterposed in one of the mains between the batte and lamps are the usual hand controlle switch 19 and automatically controlled'voltage regulator, diagrammatically indicated at 20. 7

Considering now the generator regulator, there is vshown a lever 21 ivoted at 22 and provided with an outwar y extending arm 23. A suitable adjustable retracting sprin 24 is so arranged as to tend to throw the a jacent end of the lever 21 upwardly and cause the arm 23 to exert premure upon the carbonpile 12 and reduce its resistance. lonnected with the opposite end of the arm 21 is a core 21. attracted and controlled jointly and cumulative] by the magnetic field of the current regu atin coil 14 and a voltage re lating coil '14. he latter coil is bridge across the generator from its lower terminal 'to the point 25 in themain 13..

As the aggregate field of these two coils increases, it tends to raise the core 21, overcoming spring 24 and lessening the pressure upon the carbon pile 12 and hence the. agregate resistance of the latter. A weakenmg of this aggregate field will obviously tendto havethe opposite efl'ect.

Mounted adjacent the lever 21 is a lever 26. These levers although shown vertically displaced in the diagrammatic Figure 1, are

pr ferably in actual use side by side as indicated in Figure 2, the pivot 27 of the lever 26 bein substantially in alignment with the coil 30 connected across the generator in substantially the same manneras the voltage coil 21 except that it has 'seriallyi i cluded in its circuit a manually adjusted variable resistance element 31. Lever 26 is rovlded with a lu 32 adapted to co-act with a similar lug 33.upon the lever 21 when the core 29 is drawn upwardly by the coil 30. hen this action occurs and the levers 32 and 33 are engaged one with the other and thus in effect mechanically connected, the movement of the arm 23 and accordingly the resistance of the carbon pile 12 are under the joint control of the coils 14. 21 and 30.

In order that the core 29 may have a considerable range of movement away from its uppermost position and yet the apparatus be compactly disposed, the end of the lever 26 is pivotally connected thereto as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. The lower end of the core is slotted as at 34 and has positioned within this slot :1 pair of links 35 upwardly extending and provided with co-axial pivots 36. The end of the lever 26 is pivotally connected as by the pin 37 between these links. In this manner free movement is provided for the swinging of the end of the arm 26 about its pivot 27, and yet the core 29 may have its metal so disposed as to give the desired range of pull with a given range of excitation of the coil. A similar connection maybe used if desired to connect the lever 21 with the lower end of the core 21.

The method of mounting of the core 29 within its coil may be briefly referred to. At the lower end it slides within a bushing 38 and at its upper end its reduced extension 39 slides within a bushing 40. This latter bushing is provided with a substantially semi-circular abutment 41 adapted to fit within a corresponding recess 42 in a collar 43 which is secured to the part 39. With the parts as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the downward movement of the core is not terminated until the abutment the core is that in -which the upper end of the abutment 41 contacts the unrecessed portion of the collar 43. In the drawings the core is shown in. intermediate position.

By the use of this adjustment, the core 29 is raised out of its lowermost position and into regulating action with a lesser excitation of the coil 30 when abutment 41 is out of registry with recess 42 than is required when these parts are in registry and the core rests in a lower position. Thus for this reason with a' lead battery, where it is desired to bring the core 29 into regulating action at a lower generator voltage than with an Edison battery. the collar 43 is so adjusted as to prevent an extreme downwan motion 0 1e core. owever. an Edison battery is used audit is desired to keep the core 29 out of regulating action until a higher voltage is reached, then closely in a magnetic sense, or, in other words. developing their magnetic interaction one upon the other. The efi'ect of this will be hereinafter noted. 7

Considering now the action of the apparatus as a whole, and assuming that the generator is started with a substantially discharged battery: At or about a prede termined speed of the generator. the automatic switch 15 will close and the charge of the battery will start. l'nder these conditions, the current flow in the coil 14 will be large and the generator voltage required to occasion such flow, will be relatively small. The voltage of the coil 30 will be insufiicient to raise its core 29. Thus regulation may be carried on .atfirst largely by coil 14, but with important and increasing direct effect from the coil 14- Excessive flow of current is thus prevented. and also a large voltage excess is prevented by the continuously active voltage coil 14'. As the back electromotive force of the battery builds up, the generator voltage will also increase and the coil 14' gain strength. This will result in a tendency to give a gradually decreasing current output during 'the main partof the charge, which has many advantages. This decrease, however, is prevented from becoming too sharp by the magnetic inter-action above described, of the coil 30. The flux of this coil. although it is not effective through its own core 29, nevertheless bucks the flux of the coils 14 and 14' to an increasing extent as the charge progresses. and requires them tomaintain a greater magneto force. than would otherwise be the case. By a careful proportionrent regulating coil as, the current is tapered ofi, correspondingly decreases a tendency to buck the flux ofthe voltage regulating coil and thus facilitates the action of the latter in tending to prevent rise of voltage as its pull upon its armature increases to-make up for the loss of pull of the current coil 14. a I

If it is desired to substitute a lead battery 5 for an Edison battery, or the reverse, the nut l or collar 43 is simply twisted as hereinbefore explained to adjust the lowermost position of the coil 29, and preferably the strength of the coil 30 for a given voltage is adjusted to a new value by means of the manually variable resistance element 31.

It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and that by proper relative and absolutep'roportioning of the three regulating coils for their direct and indirect action, the current and voltage of the generator output are so controlled as to carry on the charging at all stages at the desired rate and to meet any contingencies which ma arise in use. 1

s various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might above set forth, vit is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawin is to be interpreted as illustrative and not 1n a limiting sense.

Iclaim as my invention r described, in

1. In systems of he class' combination, a generator driven at a variable speed, a storage battery ada ted to be charged thereby, a current coi through which current passes from sard' generator to said batter a volta coil connected to present a fiel substantially proportional'to the voltage of said generator, means'adapted to regulate said nerator under control of said coils acting ointly, a second voltage coil connected to present a field substantially proportional to the voltage of said genera- 'tor, and means co-acting with said last coil adapted u on the field of said last coil attaining su cient strength to co-act with said first regulating'means in regulating said generator. 2. In

05 ccmbination, generator driven at a vaetic inter-action has be made in the embodiment systems of the class described, in-

riable s eed, a storage battery adapted to be. charge thereby, a current coil through which currentpasses from said generator to said battery, a generator voltage coil, means controlled by said coils and acting to regulate said generator, a second generator voltage coil, and a device contro led thereby and adapted upon the field of said second voltage a coil attaining sufficient strength to add its pull to said regulating means and co-act therewith in the regulation of the generator. l 3. In systems of the class described, in combination, a generator driven at'a variable speed, a storage battery-adapted-to be charged thereby, a current coil through which current passes from said generator to said battery, a generator voltage coil, a car- ,bon pile connected in the field of said gen-.

erator, a device magnetically controlled by said coils acting cumulatively to vary the pressure ,upon said carbon pile and regulate said generator, a second generator voltage coil, and means controlled thereby, adapted upon the field of said coil attaining suflicient stren th to transmit mechanically its efi'ect to said first regulating means and .co-act therewith in the regulation of the generator.

4. In systems of the class described, in

combination, a generator driven'at a variable speed, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a. current c011 through which current passes from said generator to said battery, a device magnetically acted uponby said coil adapted to regulate said generator, :1 generator voltage coil, a device magnetically acted upon thereby, adapted upon the field of -said voltage coil attaining sufiicient strength to transmit mechanically its efiect to said first device and co-act therewith in.th e regulation of the generator and magnetic means connecting the fields of said coils one with another whereby the fieldofsaid current coil tends to reduce the flux due to said voltage coil.

;5. Insystems of the class described, in combination, agenerator driven at a variable sp (1, a storage battery adapted to be charge thereby, a current coil through which current passes from said generator to said battery, a device magnetically acted upon by said current coiladapted to regulate said generator, a generator voltagecoil,adevice magnetically acted upon thereby, adapted upon the field of said voltage coil attaining sufiicient strength to transmit mechanically its effect to said first device and co-act therewith in the regulation of said enerator, and means adapted upon such joint regulation proceeding, to increase the regulating efiect of said voltage coil with respect to that of said current coil at a rate greater than the rate of,cha nge of the relation of their respective ampere turns. L

6. In systems of the class described, in combination, a generator driven at a variable speed, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby. a current coil through which current passes from said generator to said battery a voltage coil connected to present a field substantially proportional to the voltage of said generator, means adapted to regulate said generator under control of said coils acting jointly, a second voltage coil connected to present a field substantially proportional to the voltage of said generator, and means co-acting with said last coil adapted upon the field of said last coil attaining sufiicient strength to co-act with said first regulating means in regulating said generaton'said second voltage coil being more powerful than said first voltage coil.

7. In systems of the class described. in combination, a generator driven at a variable speed. a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a current coil through which current passes from said generator to said battery. a generator voltage coil. means controlled by said coils and acting to regulate said generator. a second gen" orator voltage coil, and a device controlled thereby and adapted upon the field of said Second voltage coil attaining sufiicient strength to add its pull to said regulating means and co-act therewith in the regulation of the generator, said second voltage coil being more powerful than said first voltage coil.

8. In systems of the class described, in combination. a generator, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby. a current coil through which current from said generator passes, means acted upon by said current coil adapted to regulate the generator, a. generator voltage coil, means acted upon by said voltage'coil normally ineffective upon said regulating means but adapted to be brought into co-action therewith upon the field of-said voltage coil attaining suflicient strength, and means adapted in two alternative positions to change the degree of field strength of said voltagecoil required to bring its associated parts" into regulating action. 50

9.; In systems of the class described, in combination, a generator, a storage battery adapted to be charged there-by, a current.

coil through which current from said generator passes, means acted upon by said cur! rent coil adapted. to regulate the generator, a generator voltage coil, means acted upon by said voltage coil normally ineffectiveupon said regulating means but adapted to be brought into co-action therewith upon the field of said voltage coil attaining sutficient strength, means acted upon by said voltage coil comprising a core with which said coil co-acts, and means adjusting the retracted position of said core with respect to said .coil.

10. In systems of the class described, in

said coil and having the end ofsaid lever therein and connected thereto by a link connection. v

11. In systems of the class described, in combination. a generator. a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, regulating apparatus for said generator comprising a generator voltage coil. a core positioned within the field of said coil, and a lever, said core and the adjacent end of said lever having a link connection one with another to permit relative rotary and transverse movements of their ends.

12. In systems of the class described, in combination, a generator driven at a variable speed, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a current coil through which current passes from said generator to said battery, a generator voltage coil, a carbon pile connectedein the field of said generator, a lever adapted by its movementto vary pressure on said pile, a core connected with said lever and positioned within the magnetic field of both of said coils, a second generator voltage coil, a lever adapted upon being moved to come into arelation in which it transmits mechanically its effect to said first lever and mad; therewith in controlling the pressure on said carbon pile, and a core connected with said second lever and so related to said second voltage coil as upon the field of the latterattaining a strength indicating a substantial degree of charge of the battery to be moved thereby and bring said lever into said relation to transmit mechanically its effect to said first lever.

' y 13. In systems of the class described, in

combination, a generator driven at a variable spced, a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a current coil through which current passes from said generator to c said battery, agenerator voltage coil, a carupon being moved to come into a relation in which it transmits mechanically its efiect to said first lever and co-act therewith in controlling the pressure on said carbon pile, and a core connected with said second lever and so related to said second voltage coil as upon the field of the latter attaining a strength indicating a substantial charge of the battery to be moved thereby and bring said lever into said relation to transmit lso said second voltage. coil being of greater strength than said first voltage coil.

14. hi systems of the class described, in.

combination, a generatordriven at a variable spa-(L a storage battery adapted to be charged thereby, a current (-oll through which current passes fromsaid generator t0- said battery. a generator voltage coil, a carbon pile connected in the field of said generator, a lever adapted 'by its movement to vary pressure. on said pile, a core connected with said lever and positioned within the magnetic field of both of said coils, a second generator voltage coil, a lever adapted upon being moved to come into a relationin which it transmits mechanically its effeet to said first lever and co-act therewith in controlling the pressure on said carbon 1)ile,'a core connected with said second lever and so related to said second voltage coil as upon the field of the latter attaining a strength indicating a substantial charge of the battery to be moved thereby and bring said lever into said relation to transmit mechanieally its effect to said second lever, said second voltage ('oil being of greater strength than said first voltage coil, and a magnetic connection whereby the fields of said several coils are inter-connected.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this-specification this 8th day of April, 1920.

GEORGE E. HULSE. 

